Memorial Day Menu

Bring out the barbecue grill, it’s Memorial Day weekend!

Here’s an alternative to steaks, hamburgers, or hot dogs that allows time for you to spend with your guests.

Preparing pulled pork requires very little effort but lots of time. Plan on about 10 hours from start to finish, but you can do it in stages. Season the meat for a day or two ahead and refrigerate. The next day, plan three hours on the grill, two hours in the oven, one hour to rest, and about 20 minutes to pull it apart.

Add the Italian Bean And Fennel Salad to the menu and make ice cream sundaes for dessert.

Bon appétit!

Barbecued Pulled Pork Sliders

(Serves 8)

6- to 8-pound Boston butt, bone-in pork roast

4 cups wood chips, preferably Hickory or mesquite, for grilling

Aluminum roasting pan (disposable)

Brown paper bag for resting

For the spicy chili rub:

1 tablespoon ground black pepper

2 teaspoons cayenne pepper

2 tablespoons chili powder

2 tablespoons ground cumin

2 tablespoons dark brown sugar

1 tablespoon ground oregano

4 tablespoons smoked paprika

2 tablespoons kosher salt

1 tablespoon granulated sugar

1 tablespoon ground white pepper

For the barbecue sauce:

1 large yellow onion, peeled and coarsely chopped

1/4 cup water

1 cup ketchup

4 tablespoons molasses

2 tablespoons apple cider vinegar

2 tablespoons Worcestershire sauce

3 tablespoons Dijon mustard

1 tablespoon dry mustard

1 teaspoon hot pepper sauce (or Tabasco)

Freshly ground black pepper to taste

2 tablespoons olive oil

1 large clove garlic, minced

1 teaspoon ancho chili powder

3/4 teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes or more to taste

To prepare:

Mix the pepper, cayenne, chili powder, cumin, sugar, oregano, paprika, salt, white sugar and pepper together in a small mixing bowl until blended.

Rub the spicy chili mixture on all sides of the pork roast.

Wrap the meat in a double-thick layer of plastic wrap.

Refrigerate for at least 6 hours, or up to 3 days.

To barbecue over gas grill: Remove the meat from the refrigerator, unwrap, and let come to room temperature.

Meanwhile, soak the wood chips in water for 1 hour.

Drain the chips and place them on a foil tray.

Place the tray on top of a burner.

Turn all the burners to high and preheat the grill with lid down until the chips are smoking, about 20 minutes.

Turn main burner down to medium and turn other burners off.

Set the unwrapped roast in a disposable pan and position the pan over the cool part of the grill.

Cook/smoke the meat, keeping the temperature inside at 275 degrees, for about 3 hours, turning the heat up or down to regulate.

While the pork is cooking, prepare the barbecue sauce.

Working in a food processor fitted with a steel blade, add onion and water and purée.

Pour the “slushy” onion into a fine mesh strainer set over a large measuring cup.

Press on the solids with a rubber scraper until one-half cup of onion juice is measured out.

Discard the solids

Whisk the onion juice, ketchup, molasses, vinegar, Worcestershire sauce, mustards, pepper sauce and pepper together in a mixing bowl.

Cook the oil and saute the garlic, chili powder and red pepper flakes in a large nonreactive saucepan over moderate heat until aromatic.

Add the ketchup mixture, whisking to blend.

Bring to a boil.

Reduce the heat to low and simmer, uncovered, until the sauce is thickened and flavorful, about 20 to 25 minutes.

Cool, transfer to glass jar and refrigerate for up to 2 weeks.

Meanwhile, preheat the oven to 325 degrees.

Place the oven rack in the middle position.

Wrap the pan holding the cooked roast with heavy-duty foil to completely cover.

Place the pan in the oven and bake until meat is fork tender, about 2 hours.

Slide the foil-wrapped pan with roast into a brown paper bag and crimp shut.

Let rest for 1 hour.

Transfer the roast to a cutting board and unwrap.

When cool enough to handle, using 2 table forks or your fingers, pull the pork apart, removing the fat and tearing the meat into thin shreds.

Place the meat in a bowl and pour about 1 cup of barbecue sauce over the meat.

Taste and adjust the seasonings.

Can be done ahead and reheated in the oven just before serving.

To serve, toast seeded rolls, then mound pork in the roll and serve.

Pass the barbecue sauce at the table.

Italian Bean
And Fennel Salad

(Serves 6 to 8)

4 cups cooked great northern or cannellini beans, drained

1 medium or large red onion, minced

Zest and juice of 2 lemons

1/4 to 1/2 teaspoon red pepper flakes, or more to taste

About 3/4 cup extra virgin olive oil

2 small fennel bulbs, trimmed and washed

1 bunch Italian parsley, chopped

8 to 12 fresh basil leaves cut into chiffonade

Sea salt and freshly ground black pepper

To prepare:

Drain the beans well.

Toss the beans in a bowl with onion.

Add lemon zest, pepper flakes and half of the olive oil and lemon juice.

Toss, then set aside.

Meanwhile, pull strings off the outer leaves of the fennel bulb.

Using a mandoline or benriner set over a bowl, cut bulb crosswise into paper-thin slices.

Pour remaining juice and oil on fennel and stir to coat.

Add fennel to beans.

Toss well, then add parsley, basil, salt and pepper.

Taste and adjust the seasonings.

Serve at room temperature.